(OPINION) David Mark: Hallmark of self promotion

Written By Idoma Television on Friday, January 29, 2016 | 4:52:00 AM

By Eloyi Ogbe

In those days, growing up in the barracks was great fun. We played
and ate together. If there was a fight between us, it could trigger a
fight between our parents. But one thing I could recall easily is the
insult with reference to the food we eat. You would hear things like
“you wey dey eat for our house”, ” una wey no get food”. Your friend
forgot so soon he also eats in your house sometimes.Two days ago a list of qualified sons and daughters of Idoma and
Igede extraction who have done well for themselves in the last thirty to
forty years purportedly sponsored by Senator David Mark into various
Federal Government Offices was published on social media.

For the sake of the records, let me state clearly that before Senator
Mark started his journey into the Senate which I now refer to as wasted
16 years, our people have had the privilege of being appointed to very
important offices and positions. We are known to be hard-working and
intelligent people.

At any event, in a list of 84 names, half has denied David Mark
knowing anything about their appointments. Some names were repeated
three times to shore up the propaganda value of the list, to make it
long. The author of the list who is simply pushing to become Mark’s
spokesman in charge of falsehood. He is an Associate of the Resident
Liars Institute of Benue South. He is the cheapest of all his
colleagues.

Let’s take two or three, maybe four of the names in that list for
scrutiny. General Lawrence was Mark’s senior in the Military. He helped
to bring about Obi, Ohimini, and Agatu local government areas in Zone C.
He is his own man and doesn’t need to lobby Mark for an appointment.
Dr. Oyigeya is a trained Medical consultant and doesn’t need patronage
from Mark.

Legend has it that at the time he was to be appointed, David
Mark had his own candidate, but the goodwill of Dr. Oyigeya’s friend,
the former Attorney General of the Federation, Chief Michael Kaase
Aondoakaa superseded David Mark’s design. Mr. Aju Ameh has also come out
to deny Mark ever helping to get any appointment. He admitted he was
offered but decline it then why was he included by the propagandist for
David Mark?

But one thing so pathetic about that list is the calibre of the
appointment on the list. None of the appointments can be said to be ‘A’
grade. He claimed he made John Ochoga a member in Federal Polytechnic,
Mubi, (a fact which even Dr. Diana Ochoga, the wife of the Chieftain has
since denied). Theresa Ikwue was a member of Nigeria Railway Board
which entitled to N 15,000 per seating. That board never sat for more
than 4 times a year! Almost half of the appointments were in colleges.

We all know that the most lucrative area in Nigeria is the oil
industry. In this industry, the Federal Government controls a giant
called NNPC which has almost ten subsidiaries. David Mark as a de facto
President in GEJ government couldn’t fix anyone in any of those
subsidiaries, someone should ask Senator Mark what happened to NNPC
boards and others like NIMASA, NPA. It goes to show Mark isn’t
interested in the welfare of our people.

He is only interested in giving appointment just to be able to hold
these guys down politically, and in most cases collects all the money.
His in law was almost becoming the life chairman of Otukpo local
government, thank God for Ortom.

His daughter was a Secretary in the FCT
administration, a position that is equivalent to the post of a
Commissioner. His sister was SA to the Minister of Interior, his other
cousin is in the Benue State House of Assembly. Why didn’t they add the
names of members of his family instead of repeating names?

The APC administration has already collated names to be appointed to
Federal Boards, that is even in Marks’ absence, Monday Morgan was CDI
until few weeks back. Engr Morgan is a CEO in a subsidiary of NNPC.
Chief Audu Ogbe is already the Minister of Agriculture and more is in
the pipeline.

The era of self-promotion is about to end. The era of
responsibility is dawning. Vote Daniel Onjeh for the future. Leave David
Mark in the past.Chief Eloyi Ogbe is of the Daniel Onjeh’s Campaign Organization